Thoughts on the Penguins’ Signing of Tough Guy Steve MacIntyre

Though many Penguins fans would have liked to see Eric Godard hang around, it was a foregone conclusion that the team would allow Eric Godard to walk via free agency. It just didn’t seem like either side was happy with the arrangement. The Birds didn’t want to pay a guy a guaranteed 3/4 of a million dollars to suit up once a month and NEVER once the playoffs rolled around, while Godard seemingly wanted to move on to an opportunity that might afford him more playing time.

“He wants to play more, I’m sure,” Ray Shero said during his July 1st press conference. “At this point, it makes sense [for him to move on.]”

He will definitely be missed in the locker room, as he was well liked by his teammates and was very active in the community and with charitable organizations, which has been a trend with Penguins “tough guys.” (see Georges Laraque) However it was time to make the move especially with Deryk Engelland on the roster.

Enter Steve MacIntyre, late of the Edmonton Oilers.

MacIntyre gives the Penguins a “tough guy” option, but was willing to ink a two-way agreement with the team, which gives them flexibility. It also ensures that if he is going to be on the shelf for an extended period he could head down to the farm and get some games in with Wilkes Barre-Scranton. He was also willing to do the deed for $150,000 less that Godard was making.

Reports from other markets that the tough guy has played in say that he is also a great “room” guy and that he is active with charities, thus filling the role of Godard, and Laraque before him, perfectly.

I wouldn’t expect to see MacIntyre in the line-up very often, but all teams seemingly feel the need to retain the services of a this type of player, so I don’t blame the Penguins for bringing him on board.

At the end of the day, you got your tough guy for less money and on a two-way deal, thus providing the roster flexibility that the Penguins have got to have in this cap based environment.

Godard, who was a good soldier during his time in Pittsburgh, has since signed a $725,000 per year deal with the Dallas Stars. Ironically the two-year deal is a two-way during year one, but reverts to an NHL only contract in year two.

Though it stinks to see another Cup winning Penguin move on (though he didn’t play a single game during the run), we will likely not notice his absence… unless you have a penchant for crushed velvet, as his amazing suits will no longer be making the rounds post game at the Consol Energy Center…

Here is the official release from the team on the MacIntyre signing…

PENGUINS SIGN FORWARD STEVE MACINTYRE

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Steve MacIntyre to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

MacIntyre’s contract is a two-way deal worth $600,000 at the NHL level.

MacIntyre, 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, spent the 2010-11 season with the Edmonton Oilers, collecting one assist and 93 penalty minutes in 34 games. Both his games played and penalty minute totals were NHL career highs for the 30-year-old forward.

The 2010-11 sesason was MacIntyre’s second tour of duty with Edmonton. MacIntyre broke into the NHL with Edmonton in 2008-09, collecting two goals and 40 penalty minutes in 22 games.

MacIntyre, who hails from Brock, Saskatchewan, has also spent time with the Florida Panthers, notching one assist and 17 penalty minutes in 18 games during the 2009-10 campaign. In parts of three NHL seasons with Edmonton and Florida, MacIntyre has appeared in 78 career games with two goals, two assists, four points and 157 penalty minutes.

MacIntyre was originally signed by the New York Rangers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He has suited up for the Hartford Wolfpack, Providence Bruins and Rochester Americans at the American Hockey League (AHL) level.

MacIntyre split parts of four junior seasons with Saskatoon, Red Deer, Prince Albert and Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1998-2001. He appeared in 127 games during that span, posting totals of four goals, five points and 362 penalty minutes. He added 22 penalty minutes in four postseason games.

Notes: The Penguins official twitter feed hit a social media milestone yesterday as they reached the 100,000 follower mark. The team is first in followers out of all of the United States based teams. The milestone continues to highlight the Penguins’ success with Twitter, Facebook and their own highly trafficked website……………Two Pittsburgh area players are on the ice at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ annual Development Camp that started Tuesday at Consol Energy Center. Rob Madore, a goaltender from Peters Township who plays at the University of Vermont, and Andrew Blazek, a defenseman from Upper St. Clair who plays at Robert Morris University, are among 28 young players scheduled to attend the camp.

MacIntyre in action…

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Brian Metzer

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Brian Metzer has been covering the Pittsburgh Penguins and National Hockey League since 2004. He is the host of Penguins Live Weekly, a show that airs Saturday mornings on 105.9 the X and iHeart Radio. He serves as the Pittsburgh Penguins correspondent for NHL Network Radio on SiriusXM, and is the NHL and Penguins correspondent for the Beaver County Times. Metzer is also a contributing writer for NHL.com and is the primary contributor for this site www.fromthepoint.com.